Leah: A She-wolf's Tale
by melinary
Summary: Leah's known heart ache and pain. And the loneliness of being the only female shape shifter. She's in pursuit of a paranormal free life and convinces herself she's happy. Happy to be free of ancestral obligations...and imprinting. She thinks she will never imprint...and she's right. Because she wasn't meant to imprint on someone. Someone was meant to imprint on her...
1. Chapter 1

**_Prologue_**

**_Seven Years Earlier_**

**_Quileute Fores__t_**

She knelt bare and beautiful beside the cold gushing stream, her long hands gracefully scooping up flowing tendrils of fresh water to splash onto her face. From this angle behind a thick copse of trees where his wolfen eyes were trained on her, he could distinctly see her sleek silhouette as she continued to refresh herself.

Her golden skin had a healthy supple sheen needing no sunlight to illuminate its human flawlessness. He was grateful for the sullen, cloudy weather of this small town. He didn't really favour bright sunlight.

His wolf was rearing to go after her, to run to her, to inhale her unique scent. Unknown to her, he'd been close to her long enough to memorize her scent, a deep, sweet musk reminiscent of crushed red roses and mulled wine.

The wolf wanted to taste that scent. He craved to rub his own scent glands all over her tawny body and make her submit to him...

He reined in the primal urge of his wolfen half with the ease with which he controlled all things around him. The man told himself that he wanted to leave this place immediately, to not disrespect her privacy even though she was unaware of his perusal. But he was honest enough to know as well that regardless of his wolfen needs, he as the man was deeply affected as well...As affected as each and every wolf since time immemorial each time they beheld their imprint. As affected as John and Aurora had been. He was living testament to the fact that the imprint bond could make a lover of an enemy...

For the thousandth time, he mentally cursed this circumstance. He had no need or want of an imprint! Even if he were to make himself known to her and she accepted him, his enemies would make every attempt to cut her down. It was already taxing on his strength to protect his empire, it was better if he kept himself out of her life...

From what he had observed of her stay in Forks, she wholly desired to sever her ties to the paranormal world that had engulfed her childhood friends and family. Bursting into her life and growling, "mine, mine" would most likely not be greeted with a warm welcome.

The shewolf leaned forward in her human nudity reaching out a slender arm to touch the water reverently. It took more effort than he thought it would to stifle the feral growl that rose in his wolfen throat.

Ye gods, you would think that he was a boy eager to slake his first passion, the way his wolf reacted to her! And he had a good inkling that if he were observing her as a man, his reaction would be no different...

He didn't like this. From ever since he knew himself, he'd never spied on anyone. Instinctively, he knew that he wouldn't be going back to Naomi and the others...that they wouldn't satisfy him any longer. Not while she lived and breathed...

And he knew he'd _kill_ to ensure that she lived and breathed...for a very long time.

Even now he could sense _them_ on his trail...his enemies...even though they were miles away from Forks. The rest of the wolf pack awaited him on the outskirts of Seattle, not venturing with him into the deep forestry surrounding the Quileute reservaton. As he preferred it. They would ensure that their enemies would not be following him on this little sojourn.

"You're only fooling yourself if you think you can keep away from her.." One of his brothers had remarked before he'd left.

"I'd suffer the distance quicker than I'd suffer her death..." He'd responded curtly.

Sadly that wasn't an exaggeration. If _they_ only knew about her they would try their damndest to kill her, at the very least to kidnap her to ransom. Even now they were getting ever closer to his trail. Despite his stance on imprinting, he couldn't help but wish that circumstances were different.

Now he watched the unbearably sad expression taking form on the stunning sharp features of her face and an unfamiliar urge engulfed him. He wanted to soothe her, to make her forget what ever it was that troubled her. He wanted to enclose her in his arms and tell her that one as beautiful and unique as she should be wreathed in smiles. Should be spoilt and pampered. But there was no time for that. Yet.

He sensed the restlessness of the pack where they awaited him and a crushing sense of loss darkened the wolf's mood. His huge paws slowly dragged against the dry forest floor as he silently and slowly backed away. Each step felt like moving a mountain. As he forced his wolf to run away from her, he resolutely swore to rid himself of the dark shadows haunting him for too long.

And when the time was right, nothing and no one would prevent him from returning for her...

* * *

**A.N. So this is the beginning of my version of Leah's story...this is a sequel to Healing Fire. The story will unfold from mostly Leah's pov...hope the prologue is not too confusing; will reveal this mysterious imprint soon enough! Oooh getting that fluttery, excited feeling a new story brings!**

**This story takes place seven years after Healing Fire though this prologue is really set just after Leah returned to Forks from going to Volterra with Seth and the Cullens to rescue Jane...if you haven't read Healing Fire, you can check it out...it's my first fanfic story centred around Seth and Jane!**

**I'm still very happy and thankful for the great reviews for Healing Fire. And would like to again thank each and every one of the supporters who saw me through that story! **

**Oh, and there'll be more of Seth and Jane in this and my other stories as well though in AU which I shall post hopefully in the near future...S&J are still my fave unorthodox couple! Hope to hear feedback as I continue with this new story...can't wait to continue though it might be a while between updates as I'm sort of juggling multiple things at the moment. **

**That's it for now, huns.**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: I don't own twilight**_

_**Chapter 1**_

_**Seven Years Later, New York**_

_**Leah**_

As usual when the clock struck five, Leah cleared her desk of the daily clutter and then locked the door to her office on her way out. She found a comfort in the monotony of her daily routine. Still she may have considered her life boring_ if _she didn't possess a supernatural gene that catapulted her into a huge, shaggy wolf whenever _they_ were nearby.

Which was why she'd moved to New York in the first place. For the seven years and counting that she'd lived here, there were no vampires to be seen. Which suited her just fine. Besides, she didn't think that exploding into her wolf in Times Square would be a big hit with anyone...Heaven knows why that very thought had been a recurring dream, no, not a dream more like a nightmare, since she'd permanently relocated to New York some seven years ago. It'd been especially bad when she'd first moved. She'd wake up, shaking and covered in a sheen of cold sweat, still seeing the horror stricken expressions and hearing the shrill, frightened screams of the nameless crowds surrounding her wolf...Phasing in Times Square had been one of the more vivid nightmares, other times it was while she was walking through the city streets or even going to get a cup of coffee at the office.

But the ordered structure of her life now soothed the tumult she'd experienced when she first phased thirteen years ago in Forks. She grew to love the predictability of her career. It was deeply reassuring to have a certain control that normal people took for granted. It'd been really difficult at first. Leaving Forks and her family. And she still missed that wild freedom that phasing brought.

She missed her wolf.

But she didn't miss the pain that being a wolf and being in Forks caused. It was bad enough going home at Christmas and witnessing how everyone had happily settled. Every year it seemed, someone was getting married. Or having a baby. And she thought if she was invited one more time to a Cullen wedding, she'd scream... It seemed as if renewing vows every few years or so was a hobby of the Cullens, particularly the little future visionary, Alice whose overly cheerful personality was always at odds with her serious faced mate.

It didn't help either when her mother Sue and step father Charlie kept telling her she'd always be welcome back in Forks...and that it was 'just fine' by them if she ever wanted to bring along a friend whenever she visited. Leah would hum non-committedly, deliberately not responding to their not so subtle enquiries about her life. She knew her mother fussed and worried when she remained mostly holed up in her room whenever she came home for the requisite holiday.

She would have stayed at her childhood home in the Quileute reservation but the temptation was just too risky. Battling her ancestry was a big part of the depressed cloud that hung around her whenever she returned to Forks. She knew if she ever ventured into those woods again, she would try to phase. She would want to see if her deeply supressed longing to run as her wolf was still hers to command at will. And if she was still able to phase, maybe she'd just want to keep running. To never return to her human form which held too many painful memories and submerged longings.

Leah forced herself to return the smile of the security guard who opened the door for her to the wintry city outside. To those who didn't know her well, her forced smile would even appear as a cheerful grin, a dazzling smile that had charmed many during her time here. Moving from Forks and coming to New York was the best decision of her life, she convinced herself. Living in the bustling city had given her no choice but to mellow her abrasive...attitude. She guessed the city had tamed her somewhat. Leah stifled the surge of sadness that thought brought upon her.

Stepping out onto the snow covered sidewalk, she pulled on her dark leather gloves for appearances sake. Even though she hadn't phased for seven years, she was still able to withstand cold temperatures that no normal human could. She took in the everyday vision of the white, tiny snow drops that broke through the foggy atmosphere to blanket the streets in a white carpet. It had been an intense winter this season, with two blizzards almost bringing the busy avenues to a standstill within the past few weeks. But not even that could stop the ebb and flow of the city's business and commercial metropolis that ran as sure as clockwork. It was that same predictability that she learned to appreciate. Predictability was safe. It was calm, mellow and tame; the exact opposite of all she'd been.

Her phone vibrated in her coat pocket then and Leah curiously glanced at the screen. It was Thomas. She'd been dating Thomas for close to a year now. They'd met during a business meeting when both their companies had spirited their executives away for a networking weekend in Detroit.

"Hey, babe." Leah quipped automatically, cradling the phone against her ear while adjusting her bag.

"Darling. I've booked us a table at Benjamin Steakhouse, hope you don't mind?" Thomas said politely though she knew he knew she wouldn't mind. He knew her well enough...

Leah felt her stomach rumble a bit at the mention of one of her favourite places to eat out. They had some of the most delicious T-bone steaks...She still retained the ferocious appetite she'd had when she'd been a wolf. Some things never change she guessed, no matter how hard you tried.

"Nope. That's great..."

"I've got a wonderful surprise planned for you..." Thomas whispered in her ear.

"I...can't wait." Leah said weakly, gulping a little with apprehension.

"Niether can I. I'll pick you up at eight."

"Ok."

"See you soon, darling."

"Bye, babe."

She hung up and continued her slow walk along the sidewalk amidst the throng of oblivious commuters. Though several cabs were about, for once she wasn't really anxious to hurry back to her cozy apartment. And if she had to be really honest, she wasn't that eager about her dinner date with Thomas either. He'd been dropping not so subtle hints for a few weeks now. He also wanted her to meet his parents in New Hampshire but Leah had been putting that trip off for a while now, always coming up with some excuse. The thing was Leah knew her co-workers would be so excited about a prospective proposal from their boyfriends yet Leah felt...nothing. Certainly not excited. Or nervous. It was as if she'd become numb to mostly everything, like there was nothing that could fill that void inside her no matter how much she convinced herself that there was no void...

Their relationship started with the usual solo dance with numerous calls and tokens of affection delivered to her office. Normally she'd just ignore the calls and toss the gifts in the trash then they'd leave her alone. But Thomas had been very persistent and as Leah got to know him better, she began to feel at ease with his courteous charm and thoughtful ways.

They'd become friends first as Leah had made up her mind to stop dating completely after a brief dalliance with her ex boyfriend Luke who she'd met when she first moved to New York while she'd still been studying. He'd been a superbowl star and they'd went on a few dates but nothing more had happened other than a few kisses...Good thing too because she hadn't been the only one he'd been seeing at that time as she'd discovered when a hysterical 'groupie' of his had somehow gotten hold of her number and called her at three in the morning to 'warn' her to "stay away from Luke, you bitch".

It was with a keen relief, she'd ended _that _dance, thankful that she'd had better sense than to sleep with him. And not for lack of his trying. Leah shook her head slightly as she continued her unhurried stroll while the snow flakes continued to drift down and lightly cover everything in its midst. Guess not only mystical heritage circumstances made men complete bastards...

She had never liked Luke's flashy, indulgent lifestyle anyway. The one thing that brought her a true hint of happiness was the fact that she was completely independent and self sufficient. Despite her mother's continuous worry that she would be 'so lonely' living all alone, Leah cherished her solitude. She probably took too much pride in her completion of her master's in Market Research, finishing the last of her tuition five years ago. She'd even done some post graduate studies. But certificates lovingly placed on the otherwise bare wall of an apartment for one could only warm her so much...

Leah felt a twinge of guilt when she thought of Thomas again. He was the best boyfriend a girl could ask for. He'd been so understanding when she insisted that she only wanted to be friends, never rushing her into anything or attempting sly overtures of seduction. Moreover he understood her need for solitude and space. They'd remained good friends for six months then one night just after she'd returned from her not too brief Christmas visit in Forks, he'd taken her to see a movie and kissed her. And she hadn't stopped him.

That night for the first time, she'd brought a man back to her apartment. Thomas was sweet and affectionate and even if the sex hadn't been 'earth shattering', Leah _liked_ him. He was solid and dependable in that she could depend on him to never try to subdue or control her. But she had that certain inkling about their date tonight. She knew she couldn't hold off the inevitable choice looming before her...

Leah stopped still as a statue on the snowy sidewalk, her abrupt halt causing a few commuters to bounce into her. Something had _leaped_ inside her, an intense physical movement within the very bones of her body. The sensation was completely foreign...yet familiar.

Glancing around frantically at the crowds of people around her, Leah fervently hoped that one of her worst nightmares wasn't coming to life; that of phasing to her wolf in the busy streets of New York...

She believed that highly unlikely to occur though. Even if she was still able to phase, she possessed a certain amount of control. Still the very potent sensation had almost shocked her off her feet. For a few seconds, it had felt like if her dormant wolf had woken, snarling with ripping teeth, fighting against her to be let loose...

Glancing around cautiously again, Leah paid very close attention to the faces about her. But she saw nothing unusual. No unusually pale white skin or unnaturally still forms. But the unease still remained. She'd never felt anything like that even when she'd been phasing regularly.

No wait...there had been that time, after she'd phased in the forest for the last time... Before she'd returned to New York for good, just after that fiasco with those Italian freaks. That had been a bittersweet time, saying goodbye to her wolf. She recalled the soothing coldness of the mountain stream, the heavy clouds lending a dense humidity to the still forest, as dense as her mood had been. She remembered sitting beside the stream knowing that she wouldn't return to that spot for the rest of her life, if she could help it. What she couldn't help then was the heavy sorrow she experienced after her last run through terrain that she knew as well as her face.

She'd felt that same very sensation then, as she sat beside the stream in her human form; what could only be described as her wolf pushing against her, leaping inside of her as if her own human body was its cage. A cage she'd locked and had no intention of opening again. She'd thought back then that her wolf had instinctively knew she didn't plan on phasing again. She'd thought it was her Quileute nature resisting her decision...

But then how could she feel that strange sensation again out of the blue in the cold streets of New York? Especially after having not phased for several years and not experiencing any hint of her wolf nature in said years, not even once.

Leah hailed a cab, pulling her deep red coat tighter about her tense body. Going into the cab, she glanced around again swiftly, shivering a little. And not because of the cold.

Thankfully, it took just a few moments to get to her modest yet exclusive apartment in Greenwich Village. Leah paid the cab driver, tipping him well and hurried out of the vehicle.

She fished her keys out, opening her door quickly then shutting and locking it securely before leaning back on it. Heaving out a pent up sigh, she could still feel the waves of unease that started on the chilled sidewalks just a few moments before. Deciding a nice, toasty bath might ease some of the stiff tension out of her body, she moved to go further into her domain still irrationally feeling as if she were being watched by eyes she could not see.

Then a pang of shocked fear pummelled her when she sensed she was not alone in her apartment...

* * *

**A.N. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited and followed so far :) I'd love to hear your opinions and thoughts as the story unfolds...Will try to update again within the next week. Cheers!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Don't own Twilight but all new characters are mine! Also any places mentioned are the imagination of well, me (except states, of course).**

**Chapter 2**

Leah took a tentative step back, inhaling sharply. That's when she got a gulpful of an all too familiar scent. A scent she'd grown to love ever since its owner was a tiny, seemingly human baby...

She immediately rushed further inside her apartment and sure enough her senses did not lead her wrong. Her niece, Seraphina was curled up on the sofa, apparently sleeping soundly. Leah laid the hot palm of her hand over her chest letting out a sigh of relief. Damn but she was really on edge these days if Seraphina could give her such a fright as that.

Leah glanced down at the girl fondly, debating whether to wake her or let her sleep. The sight of her beloved niece always never ceased to amaze her. Seraphina looked like seventeen years old appearing to be only two years younger than that of her father, Seth and the same chronological age as her mother, the vampire Jane. Yet it'd only been eight years since she and her twin brother, Jeremy's miraculous births. Miraculous in the sense that it was a fact that female vampires were incapable of conceiving a child, let alone _two_.

Leah thought she'd seen everything possibly paranormal since becoming a wolf but Seraphina and Jeremiah's development and their seemingly dramatic age difference astounded both the wolves and all vampires who knew them. Seraphina certainly wasn't a typical eight year old having developed after reaching the age of two, rather rapidly both physically and mentally. Her twin brother however was a seemingly normal eight year old. To see them together you would think they were an older sister and younger brother but never twins.

After her rapid growing, when Leah first heard a teenage Seraphina call her baby brother Seth 'dad' it had seemed so incongruous that Leah had burst into a fit of laughter. Which Jane hadn't really appreciated. There was no love lost between Leah and her...sister in law. But Leah genuinely adored her niece and nephew. And Seth would always be her baby brother no matter that he had certainly matured a lot. Never mind that he hadn't aged a day since he'd imprinted on the vampire.

Shrugging off her heavy coat, Leah turned to toss her coat on what she called her lazy lounge, a beach chair directly facing the huge TV, her one indulgence when her phone rang again. Reaching into her deep coat pocket, Leah pulled it out but before she could glance at it, it slipped between her fingers. The phone would have crashed to the floor but a dainty, pale hand reached out with unerring swiftness and snagged it midair. Seraphina was standing just beside Leah, her movement had been so fast that it seemed as if she'd just appeared out of thin air.

"You know I hate it when you do that." Leah grumbled yet she smiled good naturedly at Seraphina who grinned back.

"You know that won't stop me from doing it." Seraphina quipped. When she smiled like that, it was like seeing a female version of Seth. She had the Clearwater thick, dark hair but the pale, slightly luminous skin of her vampire mother. "Besides speed can be convenient." She waved the still ringing phone in her hand. Her smile disappeared as swiftly as it had come.

"It's dad." Seraphina whispered resignedly and Leah knew that she'd run away again. Sighing, Leah wordlessly held out her hand for her phone. For someone who was extolling the virtues of speed a few seconds ago, Seraphina dropped the phone very slowly into Leah's waiting hand.

"Do you _have_ to answer?" Seraphina pouted.

"Sera, Leah said, using the nickname she'd called her ever since she was a baby, "your father's only worried about you."

"Yeah, well they worry too much! I can take care of myself."

That refrain sounded all too familiar. It wasn't so long ago that Seth had said that to her when he was a new, young wolf. The phone stopped ringing and a hopeful expression dawned on Seraphina's face.

"He'll call back. Or I will call him back." Leah said abruptly and Seraphina's shoulders slumped slightly.

"Y'know, when I gave you an extra key to my apartment, I trusted you would have visited only with your parents' permission." Leah lectured, trying to sound firm but knowing it was a lost cause.

"I'm sorry, Lee. I would have told them, it's just that they wouldn't have let me leave."

Leah wasn't fooled by Seraphina's wide, sad eyes. She might have a soft spot for her but she knew her niece well.

"Your parents must have had good reason for not wanting you to leave the house. What did you do?"

"I drove Jeremiah to school," She scowled. Seraphina had admitted to Leah before that she envied her twin sometimes because he got to experience certain things that she hadn't been allowed to.

"And?"

"Then I went skinnydipping with a bunch of pals." She muttered so quickly that Leah almost didn't follow what she said.

Before Leah could respond, the phone started ringing again and Seraphina rolled her startling azure eyes, flashing to the sofa and sitting down with a thump.

"Hey, bro." Leah said cautiously, immediately recognizing Seth's number.

"Is she...?"

"Yes she's here."

He sighed audibly. Leah could almost feel his relief through the phone. "Don't worry Seth, I'll take care of her."

"This is the third time in a month that she's run away, Leah. Seth said, his voice low. "Everyone's worried because she's not listening to any of us. She thinks we're denying her a normal life but she needs to learn to control her gift and speed before she can...blend in."

Cradling the phone against her ear, Leah glanced over her shoulder at Seraphina. Her feet were tucked under her as she flipped the pages of a book with blurring swiftness. Beside her there were at least a dozen more books spilling out of an open knapsack. She appeared to be oblivious to Leah and Seth's conversation but Leah knew she could hear someone speaking from another room if she was inclined to.

"Don't you think you're just being a bit too rigid? Maybe you guys need to have a bit more confidence in her, Seth. I mean she hasn't really revealed her...nature to anyone so far, right?"

Seth sighed deeply and Leah wondered what Seraphina had really been up to.

"There was an article in the Bridge Weekly newspaper, a small item in the back pages but still shocking nonetheless. It's called the Beard Creek haunting," Leah recalled Seraphina telling her about the out of the way waterfall a few miles from Seth and Jane's New Hampshire home that she frequented.

"It's about a ...girl seen disappearing and reappearing. And diving off the top of the waterfall with...inhuman speed." Seth said, his voice low with agitation, "Seraphina loves Beard Creek, Leah. It's her favourite place to go to since she matured within the last three years, she's even taken people there. It's not that difficult to see why we'd be concerned about her. There's even _a_ _photo_ in the article. Besides, she's been using her supernatural speed in front of her so called friends. Seraphina is our daughter but she's becoming very...volatile...she needs to be monitored closely."

"Despite her gifts and...nature she's a teenage girl, Seth. You have to give her room to breathe a bit...she needs her space."

"We only want to protect her."

"I know."

"She has a special love for you, Leah. Can you, I don't know, talk to her?"

"Of course I'll talk to her."

"Oh and um, you can expect a visit from Jane soon."

"What?!"

"From the second she learned that Seraphina went to you, she immediately left for the airport."

Leah glanced at Seraphina again who was still absorbed in her book.

"Couldn't you convince her that that's completely unnecessary?"

"Leah, that's her baby girl. When it comes to Seraphina or Jeremiah, there's no reasoning with Jane."

"There's no reasoning with her for anything." Leah grumbled.

"Hey."

"Alright, Mr. super ears, you weren't supposed to hear that."

"Can you not mention to Seraphina that her mother would be coming after her?"

Leah sighed, "Ok. Do you want to talk to her?"

"Don't bother!" Seraphina said sharply and loudly from her perch on the sofa.

"It's ok, Leah. Tell her we love her."

Leah put her phone down and turned to face Seraphina.

"That wasn't very nice, Sera."

"It wasn't nice when they decided that I should be cooped up in the house."

"Well, maybe if you started acting as seriously as you want to be taken, they wouldn't feel the need to ground you."

"I may be eight years old but I'm not an eight year old, Lee!"

Leah solemnly regarded the sullen teenager for a few moments before walking over to the couch and sitting beside her.

"We know that but running away won't help. And you need to stop revealing what you can do to your friends. It's not only yourself you're putting in danger but your entire family. Do you really want to go back to the Cullens again?"

Seraphina glanced at Leah strangely, "I wouldn't mind. At least they're not purring over Jeremy all the time."

Leah bit her lip. She really needed to remember that Seraphina did not share her aversion to the vampire clan. She was sure that when the Cullens decided to act as a sort of monitor for wayward vampires years ago after the demise of the Volturi, they would never have expected to be 'monitoring' Seth and Jane's 'beautiful little girl' so often.

"Do you think your parents spend more time with Jeremy?" Leah asked.

"I guess. I guess they have tried to spend time with me as well. But I won't let them...I'm not jealous of Jeremy, I love him he's my twin but he does get really annoying sometimes."

"That's what 'little' brothers do." Leah smiled gently. "But you need to stop rebelling against your parents wishes...you have practically all the time in the world to be the adult you crave to be Sera. But first you have to learn how. They only want the best for you. Trust them."

"Why can't they trust me?"

"Have you given them any reason to?"

"They may be my parents but they don't know everything. They're only a little older than I am! I want to live a normal life...I want to spend time with other teenagers, just forget that I'm some half vampire freak."

Oddly what she just said resounded deeply with Leah. Didn't she want to live a normal life as well? Free from any paranormal activity, just being a normal person? It was why she'd moved so far from home in the first place.

"I really understand what you're saying. And you're not a freak, you're a very special young lady. But if you want to be normal, why have you been revealing your speed to your human friends?"

Seraphina shrugged, "Sometimes I forget. More times than not, I want to, um, maybe show off a bit?"

"That's not very responsible, Sera."

"I know. I promise I'll not do it again."

"Tell your parents that. Show them that you can be trusted to be on your own and before you know it, you'll have all the space you can ever want." Leah stressed, smiling at Seraphina. She smiled back widely, nodding her head.

"Can I stay with you for a while. I love being in New York!"

"I know you do. Unfortunately, that's not up to me. If I told you something, will you promise not to run off somewhere else?"

"Mother's on her way here, isn't she?"

Leah pursed her lips. "Yes she is. Sera, you need to stop running away..."

"She's always following me...ugh!" Seraphina growled. Yet unlike the deep growls a wolf might emit, even in human form, her growl was light and almost musical. It was a _dainty_ growl. She was certainly her mother's daughter.

Leah never thought she'd see the day when she would defend Jane yet she found herself saying, "She's only concerned about you..."

"Yeah, yeah. Can we go out before she gets here? I wonder if I could get into the Metro?" Seraphina said excitedly naming one of the top nightclubs in New York.

"Ease up, kiddo. No going out. No Metro. And besides, I have work in the morning."

"Since when did you become such an old maid, Lee?"

True, she'd started aging again since she stoppped phasing but Leah thought being twenty nine was hardly an old maid.

"Oh no, you didn't!" Leah threw a pillow at Seraphina's face who not surprisingly, easily ducked out of the way. "Anyway, this old maid has a dinner date. Can I trust you to stay your butt planked here while I head out for an hour?"

"Of course you can." Seraphina looked at Leah with wide, innocent blue eyes, a slight frown on her smooth forehead making her appear for all the world, hurt at Leah's query.

"I mean it, Sera. Or else I'll take back my key and change the locks!" Leah said sternly.

" As if that would stop me." Seraphina said brightly.

"Sera..."

"Alright. I'll be here." Seraphina sighed. Then darted off the sofa in less of a quarter of the second it took Leah to rise from her seat.

"So, onto the important stuff. Who's your hot date? Where's he taking you? And what're you going to wear?!"

Leah grinned at her bubbly niece and wondered which one of her questions to answer first.

* * *

"Now, don't get angry, honey. I just couldn't resist so forgive me, please?"

"What's there to forgive?" Leah asked as they walked hand in hand through the mahogany doors of the restaurant. Was it wrong of her that she was more interested in the scrumptious aromas wafting through the eatery than in Thomas' intended surprise? Normally she loved going out with Thomas, they had some great times together...she'd never felt more comfortable with anyone, not even her former wolf pack mates.

The major part of her attraction to Thomas was that he was as possessive as a cat might be of a dog. He possessed not one controlling bone in his body. He acquiesed so much to her to the point where Leah felt as if he was too good for her sometimes.

He was the only person she'd ever met who would stay up with her at ungodly hours to help her figure out the finer technicalities of her market research assignments. He'd been such a good friend to her before they became a couple. And though Leah always reminded herself she didn't need anyone, she had come to depend on Thomas' unerringly sedate presence.

He calmed her. And she loved him for it.

She thought their relationship was perfect as it was.

"Oh, it's nothing bad, trust me. But, I know you hate surprises." Thomas said, ducking his head a bit bashfully.

Leah glanced at him, smiling fondly at his sudden reticence. He looked handsome tonight in his light brown winter jacket which was almost the exact colour of his hair. At 5'10, he was just a few inches shorter than Leah and for the year that Leah had known him, she'd never seen a hint if anger in his gentle brown eyes.

He led her to a semi private booth in the deeper recesses of the restaurant. When they rounded the enclosed compartment, Leah was surprised to see another couple already seated there. They stood up smiling as she approached with Thomas.

"Leah, I'd like you to meet my parents. This is my father, Thomas Charles Sr. and my mother, Stephanie Charles."

Leah glanced back quickly at Thomas then turned to his parents with a warm smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Charles."

"The pleasure is ours and please call us Tom and Stephanie, Mrs. Charles said. "We've heard so much about you."

"Hope he left out that I'm a serial eater." Leah said easily.

Both Thomas Charles Senior and Junior laughed heartily.

"Well, you'd certainly fit in at our huge holiday dinners, Leah." Stephanie said, smiling at her husband and son.

Over a dinner of steak and ribs, Leah's nervousness over Thomas' intended surprise ebbed away quickly. Arranging this dinner with his parents was a sweet thing for him to do and Leah agreed she'd visit them in Manhattan after they insisted upon it.

As they left the steakhouse, she felt extremely relaxed and contented. Being around Thomas always made her feel that way.

" Why were you so nervous when you surprised me with meeting your parents?" Leah asked playfully as Thomas walked her up to her apartment.

"Nervous? I wasn't!" Thomas squeezed her hand gently. "Besides, that wasn't the surprise..."

"It wasn't?"

"No."

Thomas placed his hands in her shoulders and Leah turned to him curiously. He looked at her, a question in his soft gaze. Even after months of seeing each other, he still had that manner of silently requesting her permission to touch her intimately. Leah knew she hadn't been the easiest person to get close to. Yet she still appreciated his gentlemanly hesitancy which in no small part stemmed from her fierce need to never appear vulnerable. Not even to her gentle boyfriend. His patience with her was what had endeared him to her in the first place.

Now, Leah nodded and Thomas brought her close to him, hugging her to his warmth. Though he'd never feel really warm to Leah, not when she still burned with a higher than average temperature. Thomas constantly teased her about her 'heat'.

"As much as I love them, meeting my parents wasn't the surprise, my hot supermodel." Thomas said softly then.

Leah blushed slightly, recalling their first date when strolling together to a coffeeshop, this guy had approached them, bluntly informing Leah that he was a model scout for one of 'the best model agencies' in New York.

Thomas always reminded her about that, teasing her that she could've been New York's hottest new supermodel.

She felt his cheek against hers and then he'd turned his head so that his lips found hers. Leah allowed him to kiss her softly for a few moments, right there on the sidewalk outside her apartment with the snow drifting down gently around them.

A sharp gasp involuntarily escaped her. Yet it wasn't from the effect of Thomas lips on hers. Leah abruptly ended their kiss, stepping back slightly. Her arms instinctively wrapped around her slender torso as if she were trying to hold herself upright.

She felt it again.

Longer this time. That jumping in the very marrow of her bones like an inner earthquake contained inside of her.

"Leah, are you ok?" As if from a distance she could hear Thomas' voice, muffled from the sudden rush of static flooding her head. It was a sensation that felt like if you were just about to faint, she remembered she'd fainted once as a child...

At that same moment she heard quite distinctly, a deep, low growl. Leah looked about wildly at the deserted, dark street, _knowing _that she hadn't made that sound.

It didn't sound human.

It sounded..._wolf-like._

She knew she wasn't being paranoid, she'd heard it quite clearly even though whoever or whatever made that sound was not within hearing range of a normal person.

To Leah's growing horror, she felt those all too familiar tremors beginning to shake her entire body...

* * *

**A.N. Really meant to update sooner but...life happened. Will try my best not to stay so long again...btw Seraphina and Jeremy are Seth and Jane's (yes, Jane Volturi) twins! Shocker, yes but they were introduced in my first fanfic story Healing Fire. This story is starting off low and slow but I intend to turn up the heat very soon!**

**Please leave me some reviews, thoughts etc. Love hearing from you!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A.N. Hi! I haven't updated Leah's story in awhile... This is a short chapter, will try to update sooner...intend to finish it so let me know what you think...yes you! Thank you to everyone reviewing so far :)  
**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Twilight  
**

**Chapter 3**

* * *

She glanced frantically at Thomas who was staring at her worriedly, his hands held out.

"Thomas, you should go!" Leah said sharper than she intended to.

"No, I'll see you inside, make sure you're alright."

"No! I'll be fine. Leave. Now!" She could already feel her vocal chords changing with her harsh demands. Shit!

"Leah..."

Thomas reached out a hand to her but Leah continued to back away, putting as much space between them as she possibly could while trying to control the volatile wolf within her. Yet her body continued its relentless rattle, she felt as if she was one quiver away from phasing into a mass of wolfen fur.

"I'll call you...I promise, please leave!" she shouted at him as he continued to stare at her with wide, frightened eyes. Then she couldn't speak much longer. If she did, words wouldn't be coming out of her, more like growls...

In the midst of her confusion and terror, she saw a flashing, iridescent figure with her keen peripheral vision. Instinctively Leah bared her teeth aggressively, growling lowly as the figure slowed down to a humanly pace, moving between her and Thomas.

"You should go. I'll take care of her..." A familiarly delicate voice. Jane.

"Are...are you sure she'll be alright?"

"Completely." Jane continued to whisper in a reassuring voice, her eyes pinned on Leah's shaking form. It was the fright in Thomas' gaze which somehow gave her the strength to slam the lid shut on her overflowing aggression. Also she didn't want Jane to use her debilitating power on her though she'd gladly suffer through it if it meant that she wouldn't have to traumatise Thomas by transforming into a huge shaggy wolf. She slowly felt the tremors subsiding.

"Listen to her, Thomas. Go!" Leah uttered hoarsely finding her voice again. She'd been so close to phasing that her vocal chords had already begun the transformation...

He looked around at the deserted street, glancing lingeringly at Jane who was still intently focused on Leah. Shaking his head quickly, he stumbled back getting into his car. Before he went inside, he turned to her.

"I'll call you..." He whispered.

Leah simply nodded letting out a deep breath as he slowly drove away.

"Are you alright?" Jane asked frowning.

"Yeah." Leah muttered, still distracted by that growl. Which hadn't come from her. She was beginning to think that what she heard may have been a figment of an overtaxed brain. But then Jane spoke again.

"Someone _was_ out there."

Leah glanced at her in apprehension. Jane frowned, appearing for a brief moment to be just as confused as Leah felt.

"I recognized that scent. I believe I know who it is." Jane said emphatically, her voice soft yet certain.

* * *

"Lee, what's going on?" Seraphina asked, her eyes wide with alarm.

Leah leaned against the door of her apartment suddenly feeling exhausted.

Jane stood beside her daughter, her short, dainty frame already dwarfed by Seraphina's tall, willowy one. Leah still never felt completely comfortable around the former Volturi guard even though there was an unmistakable aura of calm emanating from the former torturer. Her golden eyes only held empathy and contentment now. It was a vast change from when Leah had first seen Jane on the snowy would be battlefield in Forks. A whole world away when the Volturi had held the pinnacle of power in the vampire realm.

"Mother, can't you see your presence has affected her? She almost phased because of you!" Leah wasn't Jane's biggest fan yet she was surprised at the coldness in Seraphina's voice. Jane's calm gaze turned to blatant worry as she regarded Seraphina.

"It wasn't her, Sera." Leah said, feeling uneasy again as she remembered the gruff sound of that strange growl and her wolf's reaction to it.

"But I can tell, you almost phased..." Seraphina insisted.

"Yes, I felt as if I was going to. After..." Leah trailed off uncertainly.

Seraphina shuddered delicately. "Thank heavens, I haven't inherited that, I guess I would know by now if I did. That little terror, Jeremy already quakes as if he's going to phase any day now."

Jane sighed and shook her head slightly but Seraphina took no notice, continuing her chatter. "Though he's only eight years old so I guess he won't phase for a few more years but who really knows."

Seraphina shrugged when neither Leah nor Jane responded. She darted to the sofa moving like a swift, graceful gazelle, snagging the tv remote.

Leah was still very shaken up at how close she'd come to phasing in Thomas' presence. How could she have lost control like that?

She headed to to the kitchen preparing to fix herself a drink. She would have asked her guests if they wanted anything but she was fresh out of blood...

Jane stood still as a statue by the door appearing to be deep in thought.

"Please." Leah said, "make yourself comfortable." The least she could do was be hospitable to her sister-in-law despite their differences. Especially as said sister-in-law literally prevented her from revealing something to Thomas that she could never explain away.

She looked at Leah, nodding distractedly as she walked over to the kitchen counter.

"So you said you knew who this...person was?" Leah asked abruptly, impatiently curious about who it could possibly have been out there in the cold. Looking at her and Thomas...kissing. And why would her wolf even be affected by this presence?

"It was Isaiah." Jane stated.

The name was faintly familiar to Leah. She remembered the strange visit Jane had had with this person when she had newly discovered that she was pregnant. Leah only recalled that because Seth had recounted Jane's meeting with this stranger. Everyone had thought that the former Volturi guard had been the first known female vampire to become pregnant but according to the book she hadn't been the first... This Isaiah had apparently lent her a book that contained details of his own vampire mother's experience with pregnancy. It was still a difficult pill of irony for Leah to swallow...that a centuries old vampire was still able to have children when she _couldn't_...

Leah forced herself to focus on the point at hand. Finding out why this...half vamp, half wolf was really here or had been anyway.

"You're telling me this...man is the same one who gave you that book a few years back? What is he doing here?"

Leah sat at the kitchen counter, her hands clinging to her glass of iced coffee. She'd forgotten how her body temperature sky-rocketed whenever she phased or came close to phasing. The chilled drink didn't actually help dissipate the intense warmth that lingered but she really couldn't stand drinking anything hot after her close call.

Jane sat down opposite Leah at the counter, her eyes riveted on her daughter who was flipping channels furiously, a scowl on her ethereal face. She was still sulky that her mother followed her here.

"I don't know. Yet I don't think he was following me or Seraphina..." She said softly.

"Maybe he wants his book back." Leah said, frowning.

"Is it that same ancient book that helped you mom? When you were having Jeremy and I?" Seraphina piped up from her perch on the sofa.

Jane smiled gently at Sera. "Yes...it did help your father and I very much. We hardly knew what to expect when I became pregnant with you two. No one knew what to expect. But this book, this journal I should say, gave us a better idea of what I would experience as a...different mother. Though at first, when he approached me with the book, he gave me quite a scare."

Leah raised her brows. She could hardly imagine Jane being scared of anyone or anything. More likely most other vampires were scared of her despite her angelic appearance.

"He was...different. I could detect the vampire in him yet he was part wolf too." Jane said.

"Like me. Like Jeremy." Seraphina said softly.

Jane turned to Leah. "We gave back the book to Isaiah, Leah. He returned for it shortly after they were born...I thought he was truly kind to do something like that. To help us, prepare us for something we had no idea of. I mean, he didn't even know me or Seth."

"How would he even be aware of your situation in the first place?" Leah asked.

"He had to be scoping things out beforehand, I'm sure." Jane replied. " It's not really unusual, as a former...guard, I did that sort of thing all the time. Became aware of situations without anyone being aware that I actually knew things about them. By essentially spying. And going out on missions...It's pretty much how I met Seth." Jane smiled dreamily.

"Here we go again..." Leah mumbled under her breath.

"I know." Seraphina said, rolling her eyes.

Leah had to stifle a smile when Jane shook herself slightly, her golden eyes refocusing on her daughter.

"Anyway, I'm not surprised that he would have known that I would need the book. What puzzles me is the motivation behind it. Behind him helping us."

"So what you're really saying is this Isaiah was trolling around Forks, spying on everyone? And now he's here in New York. Obviously spying again...maybe he's been following you guys." Leah said, worried for her niece. "Do you think it has something to do with..?" Leah let the question trail off, inclining her head slightly towards Seraphina, looking intently at Jane. She lowered her voice even though she knew her whispers would be ineffective with Seraphina's superior hearing. "I mean he is part wolf right? There's a possibility he could...you know, imprint."

Jane caught on immediately. She shook her head slowly, something like annoyance flickering in her eyes briefly before her expression smoothed out again. "No. It's not that. I'm certain."

"How can you be so sure? I mean he's followed you guys all the way to New York." Leah whispered vehemently.

"I'm sure." Jane said with steel like determination. She glanced quickly at Seraphina who was giggling at something on tv, her attention not focused on our whispered conversation at the moment. Jane leaned a bit closer to Leah where she sat opposite on the other side of the counter. Leah forced herself to stay still, not lean away like she wanted to at her proximity.

"It's already happened to her." She said, her voice at such a low decibel that I had to practically strain to hear her. All Leah's discomfort disappeared instantly as she comprehended what Jane meant.

"You mean...someone imprinted on her? Who?"

Jane shook her head, glancing quickly at Seraphina again.

"You haven't told her?" Leah asked outraged at the thought. How could they keep such a thing from her? And what about the wolf in question? How was he staying away from her?

"Not yet." Jane snapped softly, lifting her chin. Leah glimpsed the stubborn, harsh glint in Jane's eyes and wondered just how far she'd gone to keep her daughter's imprint a secret.

Leah swallowed harshly, biting back what she really wanted to say. Now wasn't the right time.

"So what possible reason could he have for coming here?" She ground out, pushing away her iced tea. The icy cold feel of it against her palm suddenly irritated her.

"I don't know Leah. But as he left, I think he doesn't want us to find out quite yet." Jane muttered.

Leah remembered the gruff, feral cadence of that strange growl again. Definitely wolf. It seemed to echo through her own bones as she stood there shaking like a leaf on the sidewalk. The very sound of it had made her dormant wolf go crazy. Leah shuddered, wrapping her arms about herself, a shiver of apprehension skittering up her spine. For some inexplicable reason, she felt afraid.


End file.
